Homeless Teen Is Named Valedictorian of Her High School Class (VIDEO)

Becoming high school valedictorian is an impressive accomplishment no matter what a student's background is. However, for Georgia teen Chelesa Fearce, it's downright amazing. Why is that? Because Chelesa was homeless for most of her high school career. The teen told a local news outlet that in order to earn her 4.466 grade point average, she often spent her nights studying and reading books with the light of her cellphone. Seriously.

It's honorable. It's dedication. Coming from a family who used to spend some nights huddled in a family car, Chelesa is the epitome of a hardworking woman. Destined for Spelman College in the fall, the teenager said that her faith in the future is what kept her determined and that instead of making excuses, she knew she just had to "deal with it."

If only we could all be this optimistic during tough times.

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It's clear that Chelesa is wise beyond her years, and I can only imagine how fulfilled and proud her parents are of her. Her mother, who says she took her and her sister to the library a lot to foster their education, has gotta be beaming.

I can only imagine how hard it must have been for the family, though. For Chelesa's parents, they probably struggled with being unable to provide their children with everything they wanted to. At the same time, though, Chelesa's success proves that we don't all need luxury and the best of the best to be great. Chelesa proves that if you have the heart and dedication, you can rise above the hard times and accomplish anything you set your mind to.

The cherry on top of the sundae? Her sister Chelsea (I wonder if that was confusing growing up!) is also the salutatorian of her class at a different high school. Talk about a motivated family!